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Program 2026

These artists are performing at the moers festival.

Right in the heart of Kastellplatz stands the large open-air stage, surrounded by the Festival Village and the venues you already know and love (churches, the castle, the park, Peschkenhaus, or the Landratsamt).

We’re also keeping moersify—our signature guerrilla concerts throughout the city center—as well as excursions to the Bollwerk, the skate park, and "Die Röhre." You can expect loud spaces, quiet spaces, places for deep focus, and vibrant get-togethers. Between the main program blocks on the large open-air stage, concerts spanning a wide variety of genres will take place simultaneously in the nearby (and easily walkable) venues—all of them indoors (except for the castle courtyard).

As for what you need for a trip to Moers? To paraphrase the famous German humorist Loriot: you only need three things—a ticket, rain gear, and a seat cushion (...and perhaps some an open mind, a good mood, and sunscreen...).

Thursday

21 May 2026 at 16:00
Wo die wilden Frösche klatschen

Workshop - Sonnenbrillen basteln

21 May 2026 at 18:00
Bühne Kastellplatz

WDR Big Band feat. Nduduzo Makhathini - The Ntu Sound Chamber Experience (ZAF / US / DE)

In a distant land called South Africa, Nduduzo Makhathini grew up in a family filled with music.
21 May 2026 at 19:40
Flugflügel

Binghi (RWA)

Binghi (RWA)

21 May 2026 at 19:45
Wo die wilden Frösche klatschen

Futur2 (DE)

Hidden deep within the halls of sound, the daring pioneers known as Futur2 had gathered.
21 May 2026 at 20:00
Bühne Kastellplatz

SORBD (DE / DEN / JP / PT)

Once upon a time, there was a secret society called SORBD, which came together from distant lands of free music.
21 May 2026 at 21:00
STM - Schloss

presence of a voice (ISL)

There is a sound artist named Lilja María Ásmundsdóttir, drawn to voices that are barely audible — those that seem to drift between air and memory.
21 May 2026 at 21:00
Altes Landratsamt

Vom Kriege (DE / IT / UKR)

At first glance, the images appear strikingly similar: devastated landscapes, columns of tanks, marching soldiers.
21 May 2026 at 22:10
St. Josef

Gellért Szabó's Ideal Orchestra - Vom Willen und Tod

The Leipzig Orchestra for Experimental Music and Improvisation presents its new album “Vom Willen und Tod” (On Will and Death), which will be released on May 15 via Boomslang Records.
21 May 2026 at 22:15
Die Röhre

Das Kraus’sche Deschelhorn (DE)

Das Kraus’sche Deschelhorn (DE)

Jan Krause, Fabian Deschler and Jonathan Schierhorn work at the intersection of improvisation, composition and energetic interplay.
21 May 2026 at 23:15
Die Röhre

Freysinn #1

Since 2022, festival musicians have been able to self-organize and spontaneously annex their stage.

Friday

Pianomobil

Pianomobile

During the moers festival, it’s on the move everywhere – the Piano Mobile!
22 May 2026 at 15:00
Im Schlosshof

Clemens Köhler Trio (DE)

Köhler, Hein, Blikslager - a trio that shows how lively and contemporary straight-ahead jazz and hard bop can sound.
22 May 2026 at 15:00

Moritz Simon Geist - Drum Robot MR808 (DE)

MR‑808 is an interactive drum‑robot installation in which an oversized robotic drum machine—modeled after the iconic TR‑808—is programmed live by the audience, who collaboratively create rhythms in real time while standing directly in front of the robot; developed in 2013 by Sonic Robots under Moritz Simon Geist and later expanded with interactive features, it replaces eleven classic TR‑808 sounds with mechanical actuators and physical tone‑makers, transforming listeners into active participants and highlighting the interplay between digital interfaces and physical action.
22 May 2026 at 15:00
Wo die wilden Frösche klatschen

Workshops

All day (starting at 3 p.
22 May 2026 at 16:00
Bühne Kastellplatz

libelle (DE)

Once upon a time, there was a sound magician named Wanja who spent many years in stone-walled studios, crafting grand works for royal orchestras and mighty big bands.
22 May 2026 at 17:00
STM - Schloss

Bass, Art and Mad Science: How to use robotics to make electronic music

workshop w/Moritz Simon Geist

In this workshop, sound artists and robotics engineer Moritz Simon Geist gives an insight into the sound creation of small robotic systems and mechanics.
22 May 2026 at 17:00
Im Schlosshof

Chris Corsano (US)

With explosive energy, meticulous detail, and unconventional preparations, Chris Corsano radically expands the sonic potential of the drum set.
22 May 2026 at 17:00
STM - Pulverhaus

Garden Hermits (DE)

Live improvisation on microscopy!
22 May 2026 at 17:10
Die Röhre

Freysinn #2

Since 2022, festival musicians have been able to self-organize and spontaneously annex their stage.
22 May 2026 at 18:00
Die Röhre

40 Jahre Bananensprayer | NiederrheinTour 2026 | Thomas Baumgärtel

Exhibition Opening: “Criminal Cases” (Legal Section)

Criminal Cases – Art versus Law.
22 May 2026 at 18:15
Bühne Kastellplatz

PLY (SWE / ESP)

In their debut release, Barbara Togander and Leonor Falcón present an intricate, polyphonic soundscape that merges turntables with processed viola through innovative electronic manipulation.
22 May 2026 at 19:00
Bühne Kastellplatz

Nate Wooley: After Nan Shepherd (2026) (US)

European premiere

The piece, inspired by Shepherd’s journeys in the Cairngorm Mountains and her book The Living Mountain, explores the tension between improvisation and composition, memory and storytelling.
22 May 2026 at 20:05
Flugflügel

Der Moderne Mensch und der Heilige Berg (DE / HU / FR / US)

Gellért Szabó's Ideal Orchestra

No one remembers why they wanted to fly.
22 May 2026 at 20:15
STM - Schloss

Erosion Control (UK)

X perimental N counters / XN

Where noise begins, their realm takes shape.
22 May 2026 at 20:15
Die Röhre

Moerser Jazzquartett (DE)

Why are they called the Moers Jazz Quartet?
22 May 2026 at 20:15
Wo die wilden Frösche klatschen

moers sessions!

The moers sessions offer musicians from various musical worlds a unique opportunity for improvisation.
22 May 2026 at 21:30
Bühne Kastellplatz

KOJO electro (BEN / TOG / BE)

KOJO is a creative project born from the encounter between Beninese Vodun traditions and European improvised music.
22 May 2026 at 21:45
Die Röhre

Freysinn #3

Since 2022, festival musicians have been able to self-organize and spontaneously annex their stage.
22 May 2026 at 22:30
Flugflügel

Rully Shabara solo (IDN)

Rully Shabara solo (IDN)

From his multiple experiences within ZOO, SENYAWA, SETABUHAN, KOMBO, RAUNG JAGAT and so many other improvised encounters with so many other arghtists from the four corners of the globe, Rully Shabara pushes the limits of his vocal ranges, strange.
22 May 2026 at 22:50
Bühne Kastellplatz

Joy Guidry (US)

Joy Guidry is a bassoonist, improviser, and composer of experimental music.
22 May 2026 at 23:15
Die Röhre

Crash Pilots (DE)

Crash Pilots (DE)

Modern metal / metalcore made in Moers is what the 2019-founded CrashPilots are all about.
22 May 2026 at 23:30
Wo die wilden Frösche klatschen

Jan Hendrickse: Black Noise (2019) (UK)

X perimental N counters / XN

Black Noise is a contemplation on the nature of change, transformation and human mortality.
22 May 2026 at 23:30
Ev. Stadtkirche Moers

Miklós Lukács (HUN)

Between the strings and the silence lives Miklós Lukács, a musician who turns the cimbalom into a voice that speaks.
23 May 2026 at 00:00
STM - Pulverhaus

Garden Hermits (DE)

Live improvisation on microscopy!
23 May 2026 at 00:15
Die Röhre

Bärte mit Mädchen (DE)

Bärte mit Mädchen

Four female musicians who have been shaking up the stages with a mix of pop punk and riot grrrl since February 2024.

Saturday

23 May 2026 at 11:30
Im Schlosshof

moers sessions!

The moers sessions offer musicians from various musical worlds a unique opportunity for improvisation.
23 May 2026 at 11:30
Wo die wilden Frösche klatschen

Workshops

All day: Spielmobil, TolSteff Acrobatics & Loco Loop11:15 a.
23 May 2026 at 12:00
Bühne Kastellplatz

Ökumenischer Gottesdienst

Ecumenical church service

23 May 2026 at 14:00
Schlosspark

Futur2 (DE)

Hidden deep within the halls of sound, the daring pioneers known as Futur2 had gathered.
23 May 2026 at 14:00
Im Schlosshof

Seperewa Agofoma (GHA)

?Afrika

Once upon a time in Ghana, in a village filled with stories and sounds, there lived a father and his daughter: John Kwame Korankye Osei and Abena Serwaa Osei Korankye.
23 May 2026 at 14:00
Bollwerk 107

X N Creative-Workshop-Concert w/Heather Roche (UK)

X perimental N counters

XN is a partnership project between the moers festival and the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (= hcmf//) (UK).
23 May 2026 at 15:00
Bühne Kastellplatz

Moment's Notice Trio feat. Kornél Fekete-Kovács (HUN)

It all began in 2015, when the Moment’s Notice Trio let their first tones resound in the realms of sound art.
23 May 2026 at 15:30
Wo die wilden Frösche klatschen

Kamunjang Agi - Das Kind der Armut oder die Göttin des Glücks (KR)

Kamunjang Agi - The Child of Poverty (KR)

The Korean legend The Child of Poverty tells of the highs and lows of happiness and the power of sharing.
23 May 2026 at 16:00
Bühne Kastellplatz

Skylar Tang Quartet (US)

Skylar Tang is a multidisciplinary musician from the San Francisco Bay Area known for her dynamic trumpet playing and profound compositions.
23 May 2026 at 16:55
Altes Landratsamt

discussions! Moderne Wölfe und Hexen

In fairytales, evil is rarely abstract – it has teeth, a name, and a face.
23 May 2026 at 17:00
STM - Schloss

Kamunjang Agi - Das Kind der Armut oder die Göttin des Glücks (KR)

Kamunjang Agi - The Child of Poverty (KR)

The Korean legend The Child of Poverty tells of the highs and lows of happiness and the power of sharing.
23 May 2026 at 17:00
Im Schlosshof

Ches Smith (US)

Originally from Sacramento, California, Ches Smith is a drummer, percussionist, and composer based in New York.
23 May 2026 at 17:00
St. Josef

Shahbaz Hussain + Helen Anahita Wilson (UK)

X perimental N counters / XN

Praised by The Wire for their ‘quick-witted imagination and breathtaking technique,’ the groundbreaking piano and tabla duo reunite for a very special performance.
23 May 2026 at 17:05
Die Röhre

Freysinn #4

Since 2022, festival musicians have been able to self-organize and spontaneously annex their stage.
23 May 2026 at 18:00
Bühne Kastellplatz

Märchenhafte Klangschaften

Once upon a time, there was a land of sounds – far away along the Lower Rhine, where melodies hid between meadows and rivers.
23 May 2026 at 18:55
Flugflügel

Der Moderne Mensch und der Heilige Berg (DE / HU / FR / US)

Gellért Szabó's Ideal Orchestra

No one remembers why they wanted to fly.
23 May 2026 at 19:05
Die Röhre

Freysinn #5

Since 2022, festival musicians have been able to self-organize and spontaneously annex their stage.
23 May 2026 at 19:15
Wo die wilden Frösche klatschen

SIKA-XE (GOLD BIRD) (TOG)

?Africa

Sika Xe, the bird with golden feathers, cannot stand the music of todays society.
23 May 2026 at 19:15
St. Josef

Yarn/Wire Currents@moers (US / ISL)

first performance

Yarn/Wire, an international ensemble for contemporary music, presents two new works.
23 May 2026 at 20:00
Im Schlosshof

Angelika Niescier / Tomeka Reid / Eliza Salem (US / DE)

Three musicians – Angelika Niescier, Tomeka Reid, and Eliza Salem – come together to challenge boundaries.
23 May 2026 at 20:00
STM - Schloss

discussions! Ohnmacht und Schutz

23 May 2026 at 20:05
Die Röhre

Freysinn #6

Since 2022, festival musicians have been able to self-organize and spontaneously annex their stage.
23 May 2026 at 20:15
STM - Pulverhaus

Barbara Togander (SWE)

Barbara Togander (SWE)

Born in 1964 in Sweden and raised between Tunisia, Spain, Liberia and Argentina, her early life of constant movement is reflected in her music: a fragmented sonic language of voice, noise and electronic textures.
23 May 2026 at 20:30
Ev. Stadtkirche Moers

Morton Feldman - Rothko Chapel (1971) für Sopran, Alt, gemischten Chor und Instrumente

Morton Feldman’s “Rothko Chapel” is a quiet, contemplative work for mixed choir, viola, celesta, and percussion.
23 May 2026 at 21:00
Bühne Kastellplatz

Bonbon Flamme (FR / PT / NL)

The dear Duke Ceccaldi carried his singing cello through the land as others rode their steeds, and his three companions had hearts firmly in the right place.
23 May 2026 at 22:00
Skaterbahn

déjàVU? (IDN)

déjàVU? is multifaceted collective < instinctive & intuitive > interaction in constant (r)evolution!
23 May 2026 at 22:00
Bühne Kastellplatz

inEvitable extended (GR / POL / DE / FIN / UK)

As a musician Filippou brings an astonishing lightness of touch to her work, and that encouraging and enabling impulse is what powers the band.
23 May 2026 at 23:00
Die Röhre

Witch ‘n’ Monk (UK / COL)

Once upon a time there were two heretics of sound from distant lands: the rebellious flautist Mauricio from Colombia and the British singer and string-sorceress Heidi.
23 May 2026 at 23:10
Bühne Kastellplatz

So says the drum (BRA / DE)

“So Says the Drum” is a project by Cologne‑based artists Bella Comsom and Bruna Cabral, a homage to the drum as an ancient technology and encrypted language.
24 May 2026 at 00:00
Die Röhre

Futur2 (DE)

Hidden deep within the halls of sound, the daring pioneers known as Futur2 had gathered.

Sunday

24 May 2026 at 11:00
Strandbar 1924

Ghost Dogs feat. Peter Engelhardt (DE)

Ghost Dogs is the name of a group led by drummer Armin Thommesen that is fully committed to jazz, jazz-rock, blues and swing music.
24 May 2026 at 11:30
Im Schlosshof

moers sessions!

The moers sessions offer musicians from various musical worlds a unique opportunity for improvisation.
24 May 2026 at 13:00
Peschkenhaus

György Kurtág: Jelek, játékok és üzenetek (Signs, games and messages)

György Kurtág: Jelek, játékok és üzenetek (Signs, games and messages)

György Kurtág’s “Jelek, játékok és üzenetek” (“Signs, Games, and Messages”) is an ongoing cycle of short piano and chamber music pieces that the composer has been working on since the 1970s.
24 May 2026 at 13:00
Barbara Buchhandlung

moersify - discussions! Mit Märchen der Wirklichkeit entfliehen

Once upon a time… – these three words are the gateway to another world.
24 May 2026 at 13:15
Wo die wilden Frösche klatschen

Rock am Ring (DE)

Rock am Ring (DE)

Rock am Ring Krefeld (RaR) is an inclusive band made up of members of Lebenshilfe Krefeld.
24 May 2026 at 13:30
Im Schlosshof

discussions! Das Märchen von der deutschen Aufarbeitung

24 May 2026 at 14:00
Schlosspark

Futur2 (DE)

Hidden deep within the halls of sound, the daring pioneers known as Futur2 had gathered.
24 May 2026 at 15:00
Bühne Kastellplatz

Peter, Rotkäppchen und der liebe Wolf Morton

Peter, Little Red Riding Hood, and the kind Wolf Morton

Once upon a time…True to the theme of the upcoming 55th moers festival 2026, the interdisciplinary participatory project for children and young people revolves around the idea of “…like in a fairy tale.
24 May 2026 at 15:50
Altes Landratsamt

György Kurtág: Kafka-Fragmente

Excerpts and Film

György Kurtág’s “Kafka Fragments” (1985–1987) for soprano and violin is a cycle of short musical settings of texts from Franz Kafka’s diaries and letters.
24 May 2026 at 16:00
Fahrradbühne im Schlosspark

discussions! Oh du deutscher Wald

24 May 2026 at 16:15
Die Röhre

Freysinn #7

Since 2022, festival musicians have been able to self-organize and spontaneously annex their stage.
24 May 2026 at 16:45
Fahrradbühne im Schlosspark

Magnetic Speech of Trees and the Language of the Forest

Audio piece by Bella Comsom

European beech and linden: Using special antennas and recording equipment, Bella Comsom visited two typical European trees.
24 May 2026 at 17:30
Bühne Kastellplatz

The Dwarfs of East Agouza (EGY / US / CAN)

Beyond the wind-swept streets of Agouza, a mysterious district of Cairo, three wandering sound-makers lived in the same building in 2012: Maurice Louca, Sam Shalabi, and Alan Bishop.
24 May 2026 at 18:25
Bühne Kastellplatz

Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth SWAY (US)

Black Earth SWAY, founded by award‑winning flutist Nicole Mitchell, sings liberation through Afro‑Folk‑Futurism.
24 May 2026 at 20:00
STM - Studio

Coward's Heart (DE / LUX)

In a burnt-out world, a woman waits for the repair of her heart, weaving together sounds from nature, found objects, and her voice.
24 May 2026 at 20:00
Die Röhre

Freysinn #8

Since 2022, festival musicians have been able to self-organize and spontaneously annex their stage.
24 May 2026 at 21:15
Bühne Kastellplatz

Der Moderne Mensch und der Heilige Berg (DE / HU / FR / US)

Gellért Szabó's Ideal Orchestra

No one remembers why they wanted to fly.
24 May 2026 at 22:00
Bühne Kastellplatz

Senyawa (IDN)

Senyawa is an Indonesian duo from Yogyakarta, formed in 2010 by Rully Shabara and Wukir Suryadi.
24 May 2026 at 22:50
Flugflügel

Morton Feldman - Two Pieces for Cello and Piano (1948) & Voice and Instruments II (1974)

Melancholy of Disappearance

At the centre of a special concert format is the work of Morton Feldman, whose 100th birthday is being marked this year.
24 May 2026 at 23:15
Bühne Kastellplatz

Morton Feldman - Rothko Chapel (1971) für Sopran, Alt, gemischten Chor und Instrumente

Melancholy of Disappearance

Morton Feldman’s “Rothko Chapel” is a quiet, contemplative work for mixed choir, viola, celesta, and percussion.
24 May 2026 at 23:35
Bollwerk 107

Moritz Simon Geist - TRIPODS ONE PERFORMANCE (DE)

Moritz Simon Geist - TRIPODS ONE PERFORMANCE (DE)

In Moritz Simon Geist’s techno-robotic performance “TRIPODS ONE,” custom-built music robots generate every sound live on stage, redefining the experience of electronic music.
24 May 2026 at 23:55
St. Josef

Morton Feldman - Piano and String Quartet (1985)

Melancholy of Disappearance

Morton Feldman’s “Piano and String Quartet” is one of his late, large-scale compositions and lasts approximately 80 minutes.
24 May 2026 at 23:55
Ev. Stadtkirche Moers

Morton Feldman - Crippled Symmetry (1983)

Melancholy of Disappearance

Morton Feldman’s *Crippled Symmetry* lasts about an hour and a half and remains almost entirely within the range of piano to pianissimo.
24 May 2026 at 23:55
Schlosspark

Improvisation im Stile von: Morton Feldman - For Aaron Copland for Solo Violin (1981)

Melancholy of Disappearance

Violinists Ronja Sophie Putz and Myrsini Bekakou transport the audience into a quiet, focused world of sound with their improvisations on "For Aaron Copland* in the version for violin.

Monday

25 May 2026 at 11:00
Ev. Stadtkirche Moers

JaZ-Gottesdienst (Jauchzet alle Zungen)

Tjark Baumann: Missa 4 you

25 May 2026 at 11:00
Strandbar 1924

Ghost Dogs feat. Peter Engelhardt (DE)

Ghost Dogs is the name of a group led by drummer Armin Thommesen that is fully committed to jazz, jazz-rock, blues and swing music.
25 May 2026 at 11:30
Fahrradbühne im Schlosspark

Moerser Jazzquartett (DE)

Why are they called the Moers Jazz Quartet?
25 May 2026 at 11:30
Im Schlosshof

moers sessions!

daily!

The moers sessions offer musicians from various musical worlds a unique opportunity for improvisation.
25 May 2026 at 11:30
Wo die wilden Frösche klatschen

Workshops

All day: Spielmobil, TollSteff acrobatucs & Loco Loop11:30 am “Twigs that Speak - Twigs that SPEAK” Here, participants work together to create sound objects and sound installations.
25 May 2026 at 12:00
Peschkenhaus

Elias Stemeseder, Gordon Grdina, Christian Lillinger (AT / CAN / DE)

Before the big RU'YA ensemble plays on the main stage at 6 p.
25 May 2026 at 12:45
Peschkenhaus

Sam Shalabi solo

Sam Shalabi (Land of Kush, Shalabi Effect) presents a solo set rooted in psychedelic drift, tape collage, and noise, weaving guitar and oud into a language of wandering beauty and unease.
25 May 2026 at 13:00
Fahrradbühne im Schlosspark

Freysinn #9

Since 2022, festival musicians have been able to self-organize and spontaneously annex their stage.
25 May 2026 at 13:30
Wo die wilden Frösche klatschen

Bex Burch's 'as yet untitled' (UK, US, DE, GHA)

Bex Burch's 'as yet untitled' (UK, DE, GHA)

Bex Burch is a composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer from the United Kingdom.
25 May 2026 at 14:30
Bühne Kastellplatz

Nana Benz du Togo (TOG)

?Africa

Once in Togo, there were women who took what was theirs.
25 May 2026 at 15:45
Bühne Kastellplatz

KNOBIL (CH)

KNOBIL (CH)

Louise Knobil and her project Knobil work at the intersection of jazz, pop, improvisation and poetic performance.
25 May 2026 at 16:30
STM - Studio

Coward's Heart (DE / LUX)

In a burnt-out world, a woman waits for the repair of her heart, weaving together sounds from nature, found objects, and her voice.
25 May 2026 at 16:30
Altes Landratsamt

discussions! Wo ist nur der Jazz geblieben?

Film: ‚Dream Baby Dream‘ (2025/2026)

25 May 2026 at 16:45
Wo die wilden Frösche klatschen

Burned Roads of Myanmar (MM)

Sein Hla Myaing is a leading master of the Pat Waing, blending the classical Mahagita and Hsaing Waing traditions with contemporary freedom.
25 May 2026 at 16:45
STM - Schloss

Alan Bishop solo

Alan Bishop (Sun City Girls, The Invisible Hands, Alvarius B.
25 May 2026 at 16:45
Fahrradbühne im Schlosspark

Freysinn #10

Since 2022, festival musicians have been able to self-organize and spontaneously annex their stage.
25 May 2026 at 17:00
STM - Pulverhaus

Garden Hermits (DE)

Live improvisation on microscopy!
25 May 2026 at 18:00
Bühne Kastellplatz

Gordon Grdina's RU'YA feat. Ghalia Benali (CAN / TUN / TUR / IRN / AUS / DE)

It all began when Gordon Grdina, after many years of musical exploration, decided to gather a new ensemble.
25 May 2026 at 19:30
Bühne Kastellplatz

Lakecia Benjamin (US)

In the high towers and hidden corners of New York City, there once grew a young girl named Lakecia Benjamin, who discovered early that breath could become fire and metal could sing.
25 May 2026 at 21:00
Flugflügel

daviDX & MonsieurQuiconque - voices XXL duel (IDN)

(Beat)boxer, (de-)constructor, (de-)composer, singer, tinkerer, storyteller… Entertainer David Térosier, aka davidX, has been spreading his good cheer and humor for decades—blending voices, music, and circus… → Expect the worst to enjoy the best!
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